Appearance: attractive medium-golden hue with a light haze and moderate effervescence. Head is a thick finger of frothy ivory foam with decent retention and a nice lace on the glass. A good looking beer.

Smell: nice aroma of sweetish malt with apple and pear character, plus a light chalkiness. There's also a phenolic character in there which I don't love, but it's not strong enough to detract from the other good aromatic characteristics.

Taste: the phenolic character is much more forward in the flavor than in the aroma. It's not bad, per se, but it's not a characteristic I look for in a tripel.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a carbonation on the light side and a mild creaminess. Decent.

Overall: a decent tripel, although it employs a flavor that is not my favorite in the style.

Asylum (I really want to know the story behind the chosen name) pours a vibrant gold color with a light nondescript head floating briefly on top. The aroma is sweetly bready, with notes of dried prune, black pepper, and clove. It’s a delightfully sharp and intriguing smell.

The first taste brings the same thought to my wife and me…something is unique here. Eventually we narrow it down to something in the spice. A brief who’s who of the spice cabinet and we narrow it down to basil. I’m not sure the flavor is the best fit for this style, but it definitely makes it interesting.

Asylum is medium-bodied, but full-flavored. Though I came across several reviews that describe a pear taste, I think it’s more apple. The aftertaste is sweet with the 11.8% lingering on momentarily…almost wine-like. Overall it’s a very good beer. It’s a tripel with a bite, surprisingly light and summery. One might say that it’s a very California take on a Belgian classic. Next time I’m in southern California I will definitely seek out their other styles.

A: Pours a clear medium gold color with a thin white soapy head that dissipates quickly but leaves good lacing on the glass.

S: The smell is a light honey and spice not mixed with a moderate biscuit malt.

T: A very sweet taste with a very light bready malt flavor. There is a hint of spice as well. Finishes dry and crisp.

M: A pleasantly smooth body with moderate carbonation on the tongue.

O: Tripels can break other way for me. I prefer mine to have a light bready malt flavor and this beer is exactly that. It is a nice light beer to sip and enjoy. It hides the 11% very well as you are never overpowered with an alcohol taste.